Bedford County, Tennessee
Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 33% of Bedford County's mapped land, a higher share than 83% of US counties and the 3rd highest of 95 Tennessee counties. A shallow water table limits basements on 23%.
100% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 7 flood losses here since 2016. 36% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1990.
Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources
expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes
high water table: limits basements
in drought, October 13, 2026
of homes built before 1980
Soil under Bedford County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 33.3% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 22.7% |
| Septic fields very limited | 82.5% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 5.6% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 33.5% |
| Mapped soil | 304,200 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Talbott | 18% | n/a |
| Mimosa | 12% | n/a |
| Ashwood | 7% | n/a |
| Dellrose | 7% | n/a |
| Bradyville | 6% | n/a |
| Capshaw | 5% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas TN003 (2025-08-27)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 5.6% by land area here, and 34% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 33% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 33% of Bedford County's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
On 23% of Bedford County's mapped land, soil stays saturated within about 6 feet of the surface for part of the year, which is basement depth.
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 50.19 in, 6.77 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 56.96 in.
USDA rates 82% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought
100% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 27 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 18 weeks, most recently on the October 13, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 100% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 100% |
| D2 severe or worse | 100% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 76.7% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
7 flood losses since 2016, $76,641 paid. The worst year was 2021, with 2.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 1 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 2 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 2 |
| 2022 | 1 |
| 2023 | 1 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 56.96 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 50.19 in (-6.77) |
| 2025 | 55.87 in (-1.09) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1973: 73.64 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 2007: 35.64 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at SHELBYVILLE WATER DEPT (2 mi away) | 17.6 |
Homes
| Housing units | 20,488 |
| Median year built | 1990 |
| Built before 1980 | 36% |
| Built 2000 or later | 33% |
| Owner-occupied | 72% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $281,200 |
| Single-family detached | 76% |
What repairs cost
Published ranges from cost guides, not quotes. More sources, and where they disagree.
Nearby counties
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Moore County, TN | 17 mi | 22% | 15% |
| Marshall County, TN | 18 mi | 21% | 10% |
| Coffee County, TN | 21 mi | 2% | 45% |
| Rutherford County, TN | 23 mi | 21% | 14% |
| Lincoln County, TN | 27 mi | 28% | 28% |
| Cannon County, TN | 29 mi | 17% | 28% |
| Franklin County, TN | 32 mi | 2% | 20% |
| Maury County, TN | 36 mi | 8% | 9% |
Sources: USDA SSURGO (August 27, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status